Apparatus for treating textile materials



1965 H. FLEISSNER 3,197,896

APPARATUS FOR TREATING TEXTILE MATERIALS Filed Dec. 8. 1960 IN V EN TOR.HE/NZ F L E ASSNER United States Patent air/ass .nrraaarus non 'rnnarnvoTEXTLE MATEREALd This invention relates in general to textile materialtreatin apparatus and to a method of treating textile materials, and inparticular to a new and useful device and method for finishing, that is,smoothing and flattening combed textile material.

The present invention has particular application in respect to materialsreferred to in the art as top or slivers. For example, with respect toWool, such materials may be referred to as wool-top or wool-slivers.Such materials are hereinafter collectively referred to as combedtextile materials.

The present invention has particular reference to the finishing of asmooth surface yarn of material spun from long stapled Wool combed in amanner so that the fibers lie substantially in parallel, as, forexample, a roving before it is twisted into a yarn. In accordance withthe present invention, it has been found that a roving, sliver, orstrand of such material is advantageously smoothed or flattened to havea nice exterior finish and texture by irecting the material over heatingdrums which are maintained in a temperature range of between 90 C. and100 C.

The invention advantageously includes an apparatus comprising a seriesof highly heat conductive perforated drums arranged side-by-side andseparately driven at independent rotational speeds. The material isadvanced to an end drum in a series and held onto the drum by suctionapplied interiorly and which acts on the perforations to hold the fibersonto the drum and advance the material through an arc to the locationofthe next drum in the series, whereupon means to block the suction ofone drum is effective to permit transfer of the material onto the nextdrum etc. The apparatus is timed to expose active suction areas of thesecond drum in a series to the material at the location of tangency tothe first drum. This transfer procedure for the material is followedthrough several drums and each is arranged to have a progressivelyhigher speed so that the material is always maintained under a slighttension. This tension aids in eifecting the smoothing operation which isalso influenced by a steam air atmosphere which is maintained adjacentthe drums and which effectively penetrates the material at a relativelyslow velocity rate.

The steam velocity for drying is maintained low by regulating the vacuumwithin the drums so that penetration of the steam through the materialoccurs at slow velocity. This makes the present invention a vast in1-proverrient over prior art constructions Where the materia1 ispenetrated at high velocities. The small penetration velocity has beenfound to be necessary in order to effect excellent results in thesmoothing or finishing process. Since it is only necessary to circulatea small quantity of the steam atmosphere, it is only necessary to use asmall energy consuming device to effect the same.

in accordance with the invention, the preferred apparatus for carryingout the invention advantageously includes cooper drums having very smallperforations. Copper is chosen because it has a good coefficient ofthermal conductivity and transfers heat very rapidly. Of course, othersuitable drum materials may be used which will insure good heat transferand provide a sur- 3&97595 Patented Aug. 3, i365 face which will havegood heat conduction with the material to be treated.

The invention apparatus includes fans arranged coaxially with the drumsand which suck off from the interior of the drums the steam air mixtureand recycle the mixture over heating batteries or heat exchangers, wherethe heated steam and air is again circulated over the material beingtreated on the drums. Recycling of the treating medium is repeatedconstantly during the operation. Through this procedure sub-atmosphericconditions are produced in the interior of the drums so that thematerial automatically adheres to the drums.

The drums are bafiled interiority to control the suction so that thematerial flows from one drum smoothly to the next as the suction on oneis cut ofi and the other drum suction becomes effective to easily liftthe material from the first drum onto the second drum. Through such anoperation an automatic and continuous movement of the material throughthe smoothing or flattening apparatus is possible. The arrangement issuch that feeding can be continuous into the apparatus and it is nevernecessary that it be stopped in order to direct a new supply of materialthereto, since the machine automatically picks up the material which isdelivered thereto.

Each of the drums advantageously includes small perforations to insure alow velocity air flow and to also insure that the contacting surface ofthe copper drum with the material is as large as possible. The deviceincludes a chamber surrounding the drum which is insulated to reduce aradiation loss.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improveddevice for finishing combed textile materials.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ap paratus fortreating textile materials including a series of heat conductive drumshaving small sized perforations on their periphery and having internalsuction means active to transport the material from one drum in a seriesto the next and further including a chamber sur rounding the drum inwhich is maintained a steam atmosphere.

A further object of this invention is to provide a method of treatingcombed textile materials comprising transporting the materials on ahighly conductive surface through a steam atmosphere, drawing some ofthe atmosphere through the materials as they are transported and therereheating and recirculating the atmosphere.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for treatingtextile materials which is simple in design, rugged in construction, andeconomical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use,reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there is illustrated and described a preferredembodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG.1 is a transverse section through a treatment device for textilematerials constructed in accordance with the invention; and FIG. 2 is apartial section taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing in particular, the invention embodied thereinincludes treatment device generally designated 26 into which textilematerial to be treated, such as combed Wool material 3 is directed. Thematerial 3 is of a nature such that it is desired to finish or smooththe surface thereof. The material 3 is advanced between cooperatingendless belt conveyor sections 1 and 2 over a guide roller 4 andtransported around or perforated drums 5, 6, 7 and 8 in succession.

. v 3 Each drum 5, 6, 7 and 8 is formed at one end with a fan element 18which produces a suction on the interior of the drum by causing theatmosphere surrounding the drum and within an insulated casing orhousing 14 to be drawn through the material held on the drum and throughthe perforations of the drum, and recirculated to the space in thehousing 14 surrounding the drums.

The material 3 is held onto each drum entirely by the suction producedwithin the interior of the drum, and bafiles 3i) are provided toterminate the suction over a particular drum area, for example, thebottom half of drum 5 and the top half of drum 6, in order that thematerial may be transported over the top half of drum 5 and the bottomhalf of drum 6. Transfer of the mate'- rial is automatic and is causedby the suction of drum 6 becoming effective at the lower half at alocation where the suction from drum 5 is cut oii by the baffle 39. Inorder that the material'3 may be transferred from one side of thehousing 14 to the other it is, of course, nece sary that the drums 6 and8 revolve in an opposite manner with respect to the drums 5 and 7.

As indicated in FIG. 1, the steam is admitted through the nozzle 28 inorder to maintain the interior of the housing 14 with a steam and airatmosphere which is advantageously maintained in a temperature range ofbetween 90 and 100 C. From time to time, some of the atmosphere is drawnoff by a pump through a conduit enemas 26 in order to pass it through aheater and return it back to the housing 14 for the purpose ofmaintaining the preferred temperature range which has been found veryeffective for treating the fibers in this manner (between 90 and 100C.). The bafiie portions 30 comprise plates curved to conform to theinterior of their associated drum. Plates extend from one side of thedrum to the other and they close off the perforations of the drum sothat suction is not effective at such locations. The baffie portions 30insure that the vacuum only acts on the upper portion of the first drum5 sufiicient to transport and hold the material on this drum until it islifted off by suction applied to the lower portion of the next adjacentdrum. The arrangement is such that suction acts on the drum 6 to liftthe material onto this drum and at the same time the material contactsthe portion of the drum 5 in which the suction nolonger acts to hold thematerial onto that drum. The cycle is repeated for drums '7 and 8.

The bathe portions 3% may comprise any suitable bafile means forpositioning on the interior of the drum to close off a desired area ofthe perforations of the drum so that they will not be subjected to theinternal suction within the drum. Such bafiie means may comprise, forexample, the baffle means indicated in Patent No. 3,088, 223, dated May7, 1963, issued to Heinz Fleissner, and Patent No. 3,084,447, datedApril 9, 1963, issued to Gerold Fleissner.

Each of the drums 5, 6, 7 and 8 is rotatably mounted on hearing portions11 in the housing 14. Each is rotated through an electric motor 9 whichdrives through 4 a belt 32 to a common shaft 10. The common shaft 10drives each drumindividually through a clutch or switching member 13which also includes a speed adjustment for the individual drums, such assets of gearing 12. The switching member 13 may be manipulated to changethe speed of each drum and the speed is advantageously arranged so thatit successively increases from drum 5 to 6 and 6 to 7, etc., in order tomaintain the material under a slight tension. The member 13 comprisesmeans connected to the gearing 12 to adjust the velocity at which eachof the drums 5, 6, 7 and 8 is rotated and also includes a clutch forcompletely disconnecting as associated drum from the motor 9.

The chamber 14 is lined with a heat insulating material and a steamatmosphere and the temperature range between 90 and 100 C. may bemaintained for long 5%, periods of time with a minimum of reheating.after the material is treated both by the low velocity flow of the steamatmosphere through the material and the perforations in the drum and byalternate surface contact with each drum in succession, the material isdirected over a guide roller 15 to a pair of draw-off conveyor beltmembers 16 and 17. The conveyor belt members may advantageously consistof adjustable bands, lattice bands or the like. i

In order to facilitate the treatment of the material as it is passedthrough the device 2%) a contact roller 3 may advantageously be providedadjacent one or more of the rollers, such as the roller 7 in order tomaintain rotational contact with the material thereon and aid itsadvance as well as compress the material as it is fed. The roiier 34 isrotated at the same velocity as the drum i.

Thus the invention provides means for treating material such' as woolwhich is preferably guided through a chamber maintained with a steamatmosphere with a temperature range of between and C(and over drumswhich are preferably made of copper or have a copper coating. The drums5, 6, 7 and 8 have a high heat transfer capability and maintain thematerial uniformly hot as the steam atmosphere sucks through very smallperforations formed on the surface of the drum. In some instances it issufi'icient that the number or perforations be suthcient to insure thatthe material is held by the suction action of the interior of the drum.

The preferred apparatus includes means for adjusting the speed of eachof the drums such as by gears so that the revolutions of each successivedrum may be progressively increased thereby making it possibie to carryout the smoothing operation with the material maintained under a slighttension. The steam atmosphere favorably influences the smoothing effecton the material and the suction within the drum is maintained such thatthe velocity of the gases penetrating through the perforations of thedrum is very small. The small penetration velocity in accordance withthe invention aids in the furthering of the smoothing or the finishingprocess. In addition the fact that a small quantity of air is circulatedresults in a saving of energy for this circulation purpose.

Coaxially arranged ventilators or fans such as fan 13 are advantageouslyassociated with each of the drums in order to effect the required vacuumpressure on the interior thereof. Any suitable evacuating means such asa fan in the interior of the drum or an air pump 22 may beadvantageously employed. The evacuating means 22 such off from theinterior of the drums and recycle the mixture over the heating elementsin a heat exchanger 24' and then redirect it to the chamber 14 forrecirculation through the respective drums. This cycle of the treatingmedium is repeated constantly during the operation of the device.

An air steam atmosphere as set forth in this application refers to anatmosphere which includes steam and air.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the inventionprinciples, it Will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for moving and flattening combed textile materialscomprising a housing having an inlet at one end and an outlet at anopposite end, means for providing a controlled fluid atmosphere in saidhousing, a row of perforated drums disposed side-by-side in said housingand extending between said inlet and said outlet, means for rotatingsaid drums in a manner to transfer said textile materials thereon on aportion of the surface of the first drum in the row and then to aportion of the surface of the next drum in the row and continuing inlike manner until all the materials are transported to said outlet,means for rotating said drums in a manner to transfer materials over aportion of the surface thereof from one drum in a row to the next, andto rotate each succeeding drum in the row at a faster speed than theprevious one to produce a tensioning of the materials transportedthereon, baifle means in each drum disposed to cover a substantialportion of the cylindrical surface of said drum with the remainingportion of the surface being free, means for maintaining suction at theinterior of each of said drums and a flow of fluid through theperforations of said drum and the materials thereon which is effectiveon the free portion of the surface of the drums for holding the textilematerials to each drum as the materials are transported thereon, andmeans disposed adjacent said outlet to receive the combed textilematerials from the last drum in the row and convey it through saidoutlet.

2. A device for smoothing and flattening textile goods such as combinedslivers, comprising a series of perforated drums arranged side-by-sidein a row and having a high coefficient of thermoconductivity, a housingsurrounding said drum, means for maintaining an air-stream atmosphere insaid housing, suction means connected to each of said drums acting tomaintain the slivers in contact with the exterior surface thereof bydrawing the airstream atmosphere through the slivers and through theperforations of said drums and to discharge the atmosphere into saidhousing, means to rotate said drums at speeds to maintain a slighttension on said slivers moving References Cited by the Examiner UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 1,016,992 2/12 Hess 38-14 X 1,163,251 12/15 Millspaugh162-217 X 1,659,708 2/28 Rurnsch 38-14 2,080,635 5/37 Schramek et a1.68-205 2,195,459 4/40 Kast 271-46 2,204,426 6/40 Millspa-ugh 162-3052,494,807 1/50 Haeberlin 38-14 X 2,862,707 12/58 Voysey 271-74 X2,919,496 1/60 Fleissner 38-14 X 2,950,540 8/60 Fleissner 38-14 X2,981,007 4/61 Fleissner 38-14 X 3,003,195 10/61 Varga 38-48 3,011,26612/61 Fleissner 38-14 X 3,021,607 2/62 Fleissner 34-115 JORDAN FRANKLIN,Primary Examiner.

THOMAS J. HICKEY, DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY,

Examiners.

1. A DEVICE FOR MOVING AND FLATTENING COMBED TEXTILE MATERIALS COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING AN INLET AT ONE END AND AN OUTLET AT AN OPPOSITE END, MEANS FOR PROVIDING A CONTROLLED FLUID ATMOSPHERE IN SAID HOUSING, A ROW OF PERFORATED DRUMS DISPOSED SIDE-BY-SIDE IN SAID HOUSING AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID INLET AND SAID OUTLET, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DRUMS IN A MANNER TO TRANSFER SAID TEXTILE MATERIALS THEREON ON A PORTION OF THE SURFACE OF THE FIRST DRUM IN THE ROW AND THEN TO A PORTION OF THE SURFACE OF THE NEXT DRUM IN THE ROW AND CONTINUING IN LIKE MANNER UNTIL ALL THE MATERIALS ARE TRANSPORTED TO SAID OUTLET, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DRUMS IN A MANNER TO TRANSFER MATERIALS OVER A PORTION OF THE SURFACE THEREOF FROM ONE DRUM IN A ROW TO THE NEXT, AND TO ROTATE EACH SUCCEEDING DRUM IN THE ROW AT A FASTER SPEED THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE TO PRODUCE A TENSIONING OF THE MATERIALS TRANSPORTED THEREON, BAFFLE MEANS IN EACH DRUM DISPOSED TO COVER A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE CYLINDRICAL SURFACE OF SAID DRUM WITH THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE SURFACE BEING FREE, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SUCTION AT THE INTERIOR OF EACH OF SAID DRUMS AND A FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH THE PERFORATIONS OF SAID DRUM AND THE MATERIALS THEREON WHICH IS EFFECTIVE ON THE FREE PORTION OF THE SURFACE OF THE DRUMS FOR HOLDING THE TEXTILE MATERIALS TO EACH DRUM AS THE MATERIALS ARE TRANSPORTED THEREON, AND MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID OUTLET TO RECEIVE THE COMBED TEXTILE MATERIALS FROM THE LAST DRUM IN THE ROW AND CONVEY IT THROUGH SAID OUTLET. 